Staff Profile

Career Summary

Biography

Dr Lynne McCormack has worked as a clinical, health and educational psychologist specialising in complex trauma for over 20 years. This has been in international humanitarian settings, hospitals, schools and private practice and for military and emergency services. She became particularly interested in the coexisting relationship between negative and positive effects of complex trauma from her own voluntary involvement in war-torn and disaster areas and the way in which many of her clients were able to redefine their lives positively following exposure to extreme adversity and posttrauma distress. Her Master’s research considers the long-term psychological effects of war on civilian women, and her PhD research is a phenomenological study in primary and vicarious psychological growth following exposure to war and genocide. Lynne has worked widely with other individuals exposed to traumatic incidents including emergency services personnel, children dislocated through refugee status, and individuals exposed to tragic death, health and personal trauma. From an earlier life career as a music teacher Lynne has come to appreciate the many ways in which individuals resource their own talents and skills for wellbeing. She has designed, developed and evaluated health and psychosocial programs in East Timor post war, and Aceh following the Tsunami and has developed a tool for assessing 'reintegration difficulties' following overseas deployment (PostAID/Q). Similarly she has facilitated training workshops following critical incident, chronic pain, relationship challenges, abuse, and war, incorporating individual creativity for mental wellbeing. Lynne recognises individuals as the expert in their own lives and the collaborative energy they can bring to their own mental health.

Research

Research keywords

Altrustic identity

Combat trauma

Complex trauma

Disasters and emergencies

Humility, gratitude, altruism

Posttraumatic Growth

Posttraumatic Stress

Vicarious Trauma and Growth

Research expertise

Dr Lynne McCormack is particularly interested in the coexisting relationship between negative and positive effects of complex trauma. Her past research considers the long-term psychological effects of war on civilian women, and posttraumatic growth following exposure to the phenomenon of complex traumatic events e.g. war and genocide. Current research includes the development of a tool for assessing 'reintegration difficulties' following overseas deployment (PostAID/Q) for aid and military personnel; development of a therapeutic handbook in the area of trauma and growth; meaning making following threat of war, geneocide, disasters, policing, bushfires; professional derailment and impact of war on children of veterans.

Languages

English

Fields of Research

Code

Description

Percentage

170106

Health, Clinical And Counselling Psychology

40

170000

Psychology And Cognitive Sciences

30

170113

Social And Community Psychology

30

Collaboration

My primary research is in the construct of posttraumatic growth and distress. Most of my collaborative research in this area is with Professor Stephen Joseph through the Centre for Trauma, Resilience and Growth at the University of Nottingham. This collaboration has contributed to the development of an assessment tool for aid personnel reintegrating following overseas humanitarian deployment.

Administrative

Administrative expertise

Dr Lynne McCormack has worked in her own consultancy practice administering staff and business needs. She has developed and run a hospital psychology unit for providing staff and patients with psychological services and education. She has designed, monitored and fund raised for humanitarian projects in East Timor. She supervises clinicians and students in professional development. She currently coordinates modules on the Clinical/Doctoral postgraduate program.

Teaching

Teaching keywords

Clinical/Doctoral Postgraduate Psychology Program

Teaching expertise

Dr Lynne McCormack has a long teaching history beginning as a secondary teacher in drama and music. As a psychologist she has designed, developed and evaluated health and psychosocial programs following conflict and disaster. She has facilitated and conducted training workshops in leadership, workplace conflict, and educational and cognitive behavioural programs following critical incident, chronic pain, and combat stress for adults. Currently, she teaches and co-ordinates modules on the Clinical/Doctoral postgraduate program.

McCormack L, Joseph S, 'Psychological growth in humanitarian aid personnel: Reintegrating with family and community following exposure to war and genocide', Community, Work and Family, 16 147-163 (2013) [C1]

McCormack LM, 'Psychological Growth and The Value of the Phenomenological Narrative for Healthy Reintegration of Returnees and Their Families.', Being There When It Counts: The Proceedings of the 8th Rocky Mountain Region Disaster Mental Health Conference., Cheyenne, Wyoming (2010) [E1]